Number Six
by Specificitydarling
Summary: She decided she wouldn’t mind dancing again.Not too flash at summaries, but the stories better than it sounds


I own nothing. If I did, Season six, sure as hell wouldn't have finished the way it did. But anyway. the song is The last laugh of laughter by Travis. Hope you like it.

* * *

Sara Sidle was tired. And Lonely. And frustrated with herself, and others.

It had been a quiet night. Catherine was off. Greg, Warrick and Grissom were working a crime scene somewhere in the desert and she and Nick were stuck doing paperwork. There were a hundred things she would rather be doing. But, truth be told, she couldn't picture herself doing them. They were normal-people-things-to-do and there fore were not in the Dictionary of Sara Sidle.

"Sara… Sara?" Nick nudged her arm.

"Huh? Sorry. What is it?" She glanced up at him. Grissom had actually assigned him to the desert case, but he traded with Warrick, claiming he had a cold and didn't want to contaminate evidence. And, not that she would admit to anyone but she would rather be doing paperwork with Nick than Warrick. She couldn't see any signs of a cold on him.

"I got you some coffee", he offered her a warm mug, "So, where'd you go?" He sat back down in his chair and grinned at her.

"Excuse me?" She took a sip from the mug. The coffee was good, meaning it hadn't actually come from the break room.

"You drifted off somewhere. I'm just curious. Unless it's not for public knowledge…", he smirked.

"No. Oh no! It's not that. No, no. I was just.. . making a list of all the things I'd rather be doing right now."

"Ah…"He smiled, "So what did you get up to?"

Sara hesitated, "Number six…" She placed her mug on her desk, "…dancing."

Nick nearly spat out his coffee. "Uh, sorry. It's just I - "

"I had the same problem. Couldn't picture myself doing it either."

"So, what has made Miss Sara Sidle want to dance?" He laughed. She loved to hear him laugh.

She shrugged. "I haven't danced since I was a kid. Since before… _stuff _happened. I used to dance with my dad."

"What?" She asked when she noticed he had stood up and come over to her.

"Well then, lets dance", he held his right hand out for her to take.

"Now? Here?" She asked dubiously

"Why not? They guys won't be back for another couple of hours. And I know that _that_", he pointed to the pile of papers on her desk, "is a cold case."

She thought for a second, "" But we have no music." She took his hand anyway, and he pulled her up from her chair.

"We can fix that." He walked over to the radio they never used and turned it on.

**When the laughter fades away  
Ma vie  
Toute ma vie  
When there's nothing more to say  
Ma vie  
My oh my  
It's the last laugh of the laughter**

"Nick, what is this song?"

"I have absolutely no idea. But, does it matter?" He smiled as he took her hand again and pulled her closer.

At first Sara was stiff and unsure about the whole situation. "Are you sure we should be doing this?"

Nick laughed, "Since when do you ask my opinion. Relax Sara, you gotta have some fun. Listen to the song and just dance."

She listened.

**Sur la derniere page du chapitre  
On the last day of the year  
Ma vie  
Toute ma vie  
When the spotlight fades away  
Ma vie  
C'est la vie  
When the blue sky turns to grey  
Ma vie  
My oh my  
It's the last laugh of the laughter**  
**Sur la derniere page du chapitre  
On the last day of the year  
Ma vie  
Toute ma vie  
When the laughter fades away  
Ma vie  
Toute ma vie  
When there's nothing more to say  
Ma vie  
My oh my  
It's the last laugh of the laughter  
Sur la derniere page du chapitre  
On the last day of the year  
Ma vie  
Toute ma vie  
Ma vie  
My oh my**

And she thought back…

* * *

SARA: She's dead.

CATHERINE: Well, not necessarily. Maybe she's been swept off her feet?

NICK: laughs derisively Some guys still like to foot the bill

SARA: Really? How would you know?

NICK: hey, I only go Dutch if girls ask the wrong question.

CATHERINE: And what question is that, Nick?

NICK: 'What do you drive?'

SARA: It's an honest question.

NICK: No, no it's not. What it means is 'How much money do you make, so you can take care of me.'

SARA: Well, not this girl.

NICK: I had a half a Caesar and a coffee. How's my end, twelve bucks?

SARA: You want to go 'Dutch' Nick?

NICK: Excellent idea Sara. See you're catching on. I'd love to.

* * *

NICK: Hey, how's Liquid Man doing?  
SARA: You mean "Mr. Cartsen"? I found this. It's a nametag.  
(NICK puts on a pair of latex gloves to assist SARA.)  
NICK: You know, Sara, a lot of homeless guys get these army jackets cheap at salvage stores.  
SARA: Well, it's a start. I'm going to get homicide to check the VA medical database for a "W. Cartsen" with plates or pins.  
NICK: Okay.  
(NICK checks out the jacket pockets and finds something. He pulls out a small matchbook shaped item.)  
NICK: Ugh...  
SARA: What do you got?  
(NICK holds it up for a closer look.)  
NICK: I don't know. I can't read an address or a phone number ...  
SARA: God, it reeks! Q.D. should be able to, uh ... to bring something up.  
(SARA turns around and empties her stomach in the trash can behind her. She's more than a little embarrassed that it happened in front of NICK. She wipes her mouth and looks at him.)  
SARA: Don't tell anyone.  
NICK: About what?

(Nick puts a mat down in front of the bath and Sara fiddles with her helmet)

* * *

NICK: Seventy-five units with seventy-five identical floor plans. I never thought I'd be grateful for cookie cutter homes.  
(Sara sits on the edge of the bath doing her helmet up)  
SARA: Like bees in a hive. Gives me the creeps.  
(Nick does Sara's helmet up under the chin)  
NICK: You sure you don't want me to do this?  
SARA: Are you kidding? I live for this. I mean, Shelley Stark and I are the same height and weight.  
NICK: Yeah, but you're taller, thinner.  
SARA: Oh, butter that toast, Nick.  
(Nick laughs and Sara settles herself in the tub)

* * *

SARA: Wait, wait. Wait, wait. Kelly Gordon, the daughter, worked with plants.  
Hold on. Hold on.  
(Sara runs out of the lab and down the hallway to Grissom's office. She picks up the file folder from his desk and checks the information. She runs back to the break room.)  
SARA: You guys, Nick is here.  
(She points to the left-most blue 'X' on the map.)

* * *

She smiled, unknowingly.

"There. That's the Sara we all love." He said as he spun her around.

"Hey Nick?" She rested her head on his shoulder and felt oddly comfortable.

"Yeah?"

"I don't think I ever told you. But I'm… really glad you made it. You deserved to and – "

"And you found me", he interrupted, "I never thanked you for that."

"Catherine found you really." She followed his footsteps. She didn't want credit for finding him. When, often, she couldn't find herself.

"Catherine found the prize behind the winning door. You found the door."

She smiled, "When you put it like that… Trust you to turn this into a gameshow."

They noticed the song had long since ended. They pulled away and went back to their desks.

"Nick? Thanks." She was scared things would change.

"Relax Sara. Anytime." He took a sip of his now cold coffee. As did she.

Sara smiled. Maybe she could picture herself dancing. In the middle of the night, with Nick, maybe there was nothing wrong with letting your hair down.

She tied her hair up, out of her face and focused on her paperwork again.

Maybe she could be found. By herself, and by someone else.

She decided she wouldn't mind dancing again.


End file.
